Tuesday, June 26, 2012

While I am constantly adding older venues to my Lost London Jazz Venues map (see it here), it is sad that I have, in the last month, included three recent ones: North London Tavern (photo above), which was the work of Jack Davies and friends, Old Red Cow (courtesy of Barry Green on Sunday nights) and Regent's Hall (run by Maggie Black).
It shows the struggle that takes place to keep the jazz going on a day-to-day basis. As I've pointed out before, virtually none of the regular venues in London receive much funding, certainly on a regular basis. Begging, borrowing and stealing are the order of the day. Lots of goodwill from other musicians who are willing to play for little money but great atmosphere and similar. (The big amounts of ACE money for jazz in London in effect go to the London Jazz Festival and the large venues such as the South Bank or Barbican.)
So, however much we are in a thriving scene, that's not the case with the venues.
In the mean time, I have also added Sid Phillips' club in Ham Yard Soho, courtesy of Ian Tugwell. Jazz thrived there in the late 50s/early Sixties. Opposite the Windmill Theatre. While Tugs told me he went to the Sid Phillips club, as he was apprentice in Ham Yard, he didn't tell me if he went to the Windmill!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Lothar Ohlmeier/Tom Arthurs, from "In The Dark" Moers
Miles Davis. Springsville from Miles Ahead
Mike Westbrook. Original Peter from "Love Songs"
Bhamra, Shave, Parricelli. Dervish Dancer from "Postcards from Home"
The Skylarks. Ndixolele from "Drum - South African Jazz"
Daniel Humair. From Time To Time Free from "9.11 pm Town Hall"
Bill Frisell 858 Quartet. Sixty Four from "Sign of Life"
Billy Jenkins ft. Christine Tobin. How Deep Is Your Love from "True Love Collection"
Bob Dylan. Rainy Day Women from "Blonde on Blonde"
Woody Guthrie. 1913 Massacre from "The Musical Grandfather and Father of Bob Dylan"
John McLaughlin. Pete the Poet from "Extrapolation"

Love Songs covers are part of the Roger Wodiwiss exhibition at the Vortex Downstairs.
The Skylarks was a vocal group set up by Miriam Makeba
More on the 1913 Massacre here
Pete The Poet is Pete Brown, who was also a member of Battered Ornaments.

Friday, June 08, 2012

Cover Versions

An Exhibition at the Vortex Jazz Club Downstairs

15 June - 2 September 2012

There
is an interchange between art objects and the spaces in which they are
situated. The traditional white cube spaces of galleries and museums wear a
mantle of neutrality, disguising the fact that such sites are riddled through
with ideological associations and value laden assumptions; auras that confer
authority on the work itself. The presence of art objects outside of the white
cube reminds us that art exists in a variety of social contexts where it takes
on different meanings. I have chosen this setting because of its obvious
connection to the jazz world and its music. As a music art form that existed
outside of official culture and its sacred spaces: clubs; bars and pubs were natural
settings and these were not places imbued with cultural authority, but they were
often transgressive spaces. While the paintings evoke nostalgia they are not
simply a celebration of the past but inextricably bound to narratives about
popular culture and the social values of the time, production and consumption. In
the same way the album covers once brought artist, musician and music together,
my aim is to bring together the art, the space and the emotion of seeing them
now.

Sitting at the Jazzdor Berlin festival over the past few days, something really occurred to me about why the internet is winning out against printed newspapers and magazines more and more. It comes from being struck by Sebastian Scotney of Londonjazz rushing out of the gigs, just before they finished, so that he could post his review by 1 a.m. on the same night. Similar actions came from Philippe Méziat of Jazz Magazine and Lothar Jänichen of Deutschland Radio.And it suddenly dawned on me that one of the reasons why the internet is winning out more and more is that they are doing things that we trusted the press to do many years ago. Lots of prompt reviews by knowledgeable writers.It's often the case in old Hollywood movies where they get the next day's papers to read the reviews. We know that some of them were able to close shows by the second night.Less and less was it the case over recent years. Reviews have become more sparse in the press and magazines, shorter and less timely. Now, editors will probably argue that it's due to lower sales and higher costs. But could it be that it was an arrogance on their part, in dumbing down and being less timely, that in part has led to their demise?Actually, the blogs and internet guys are taking their business because they are doing what the journalists and newspapers ought to have been doing for the past few years.

I saw similarly a complaint from Martin Laurentius of Jazzthing about the poor quality of some reviews of the Jazz Echo awards in Germany last week. I was reminded of the comment from Wittgenstein - one of the only ones that I can remember from the enigmatic philosopher: "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."

Perhaps it's too late for the newspapers and main magazines to recover the ground? Actually, they probably don't even want to. And they set up their models of the press and complain incessantly about the internet. Which is, for me, a great shame. I love physical books and newspapers and would dearly love them all to survive. And to go out and buy them again. I have fallen out of love with the newspapers as they are at present.

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Next Friday marks the first Match & Fuse Festival, a weekend of live music performed by bands from eight European countries. World Service Project has been at front of planning the extravaganza which promises to be a feast of musical styles encompassing jazz, electronica, punk and progressive music. Performing will be some of the best of young European and Scandinavian bands. The title Match & Fuse evokes the spirit of the best of them coming together to create this collaborative musical adventure. The Festival director Dave Morecroft (and musician with World Service Project) said, 'I think people respond well to it... we have thirteen band playing at a free festival. I personally cannot wait to hear all of the varied musical offerings that lie in store for us'. Morecroft also indicated that the festival will rotate so that next year's 2013 will be held in Oslo, and 2014's in Rome. Big ups to World Service Project for taking the initiative.

Friday, June 01, 2012

Alexander Hawkins Ensemble – All There, Ever OutPianist Alexander
Hawkins is emerging as a strong voice in the jazz
avant-garde world. Most intriguingly, as Hawkins’ sound has developed,
it has become more accessible as it also grows more confident. A lovely
example of this is third track “Owl (Friendly),” a melodic piece of
dissonance that follows two freer pieces, and which seems perfectly in
place in the flow of the album. Another great example is “Ahab,” which
begins as a simmering buzz but explodes into a rollicking tavern song
able to match the customers drink for drink. Challenging, yes, but an
album that seems willing and content to meet the listener halfway.